The importance of naming a brand correctly

The name of a brand is one of the foremost determinants of whether people will fall in love with it or hate it. A consumer can form an opinion about a brand just from hearing its name. So when naming a brand a company should pay close attention as to whether it will resonate with its target audience. Although there are no rules in particular to naming a brand, I found and summarised ten steps that one should consider following when naming a brand and they are as follows:

1.       Give the naming process priority; do not treat it as an afterthought: In the creative world the product or service offered by a company is often given much more attention than its naming and thus results in a last minute rush for a name. The naming should fall into the development part of the brand.

2.       The naming process is as strategic as it is creative: A great name does not come simply, as it is suppose to define the personality and position of the brand. Strong brands transcend the physical attributes of a company, products or services. They form emotional connections with consumers. A brand name should have enough flexibility to cater to an evolving market.

3.       Never underestimate the importance of a creative brief: A naming brief should be specific, highlight the elements of the strategy to be communicated and set clear understandable parameters on its construction. The brief should act as a lens through which you filter a suitable name for your organisation.

4.       Do not confuse differentiation with communication: Companies more often than not, use descriptive terms to name themselves in a bid to lessen the need to explain what their brand is all about. They often think that the more detailed the name is the more likely customers will understand it when in fact picking a simple name makes it easier to remember and allows them to associate a chosen meaning to it.

5.       Look into trademarks to avoid issues: There are approximately over thirteen million trademarks in the world and two hundred and fifty thousand words in the English dictionary. So chances are your name might end up not being yours alone. Therefore names should be pre-screened during the trademark process to illuminate ones that are off limits. Pre-screening saves you time and endless legal battles.

6.       Pay attention to global implications: Make sure that your name is not inappropriate to translates to something thereof in another language. Global Linguistics should be evaluated on a name after it has been shortlisted or chosen. The last thing any company wants is a name which translates as offensive to cultural group.

7.       Choose a name subjectively: Choose a name based on the criteria for success by having a strong brand strategy, clear role of the name and key attributes it should communicate. Research will help you tremendously in this department.

8.       Not everything requires a name: As an organisation grows so do its products and services, thus compelling the naming of each and every one of them. Too many names associated to a brand tend to confuse the customer and this can work against it. Not everything requires naming, just the right strategy to push it.

9.       Get rid of irrelevant names: Brands evolve over time due to changes in the market and customer demand. The current name may not be able to carry the company to the next level of its restructuring. Therefore a company should consider renaming its brand/s in a manner which is not abrupt but gradual.

10.   Do not end the verbal identity process at a name: A brand is more than just the name given to it. The name forms one part a of brand’s verbal identity, Brands should speak to their audiences in a language which has an appropriate tone for a positive response. This determines whether or not they will manage to draw up an emotional connection with their audiences.

The naming process is just as important, if not more, as any other when coming up with or restructuring a brand. The name can be what sell or kills the brand. Brands that do succeed and continue to do so know the importance of a name and paid close attention to it. So the next time you fall in love with a brand name, think of how much thought process went into making it appeal to you.

References: 

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/05/the-science-of-naming-brands-from-ipad-to-ice-cream/238820/

http://www.interbrand.com/en/knowledge/papers-and-articles/10-Most-Common-Naming-Mistakes.aspx

Brand Campaigns

Branding has become something a company cannot do without when wanting to sell its products and services to the masses. A brand has to speak to a person’s senses and influence them to buy into the brand. In order to make a brand work a company has to define its values, the image its wants to portray and the action it wants people to take after coming into contact with it. One of many mechanisms used to measure the success of a campaign is called ‘brand recall’ this is measured by whether a consumer can remember the name of a brand, company or product as part of a particular class. And because consumers have a lot on their minds on a daily basis, brands have to work hard at occupying the limited space available in the consumers mind in order to reinforce their message.

Now a short lived branding campaign has to work even harder at this as it has a limited time in which to implement itself in the consumers mind. On the positive side short campaigns increase urgency for the retailer to sell the product and the consumer to buy it as soon as possible. I had the pleasure of producing a short branding campaign for a school project in the form of Women Writers 2013. For this project I had to pick a female author and create a brand campaign around them, three of their books and a book launch which would happen on the 9^th of August on Women’s Day.

The Author that I chose is Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, February 18, 1931). She is a world renowned American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are famed for having richly detailed characters which take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride. She has a string of awards under her belt including a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Nobel Prize. The three novels that I went with for my book trilogy are:

1.       The Bluest Eye: Written in 1970 this was Toni’s first novel, written while she was still teaching at Howard University. The story revolves around a little girl named Picola who because of being mocked everyday by other kids for her dark skin, constantly prays for beauty, blonde hair and blue eyes.

2.       Song of Solomon: The story revolves around Macon Dead Jr. nicknamed “Milkman”. The story follows his compelling journey from being an arrogant boy to a compassionate man.

3.       Tar Baby: This story revolves around Jadine Childs, a black fashion model with a white patron. She falls deeply in love with a black fugitive named Son. The Story chronicles the forbidden love between the two in a racial setting.

The logo that I created for the event was inspired by a pen and the form of a figure meditating, which is something one has to do in order to reach a calm place in order to write. I then abstracted the two and fused them into one. I extended the logo by making it form dandelion seeds which are blown into the air by the wind. Dandelion seeds being blown into the air evoke emotions of lightness, happiness and tranquillity. I decided to shoot all my book covers and theme them around figures standing in the sunset. Here are a few pieces from the campaign:

Logo

 Poster

Bookmark

The Bluest Eye

Song of Solomon

Tar Baby

Promotional bag

Notebook

Web Advert

 3D book reading environment

The campaign taught me that for a brand to work all of the different marketing tools used have to communicate the same visual message, they can have variety but essentially they must look like a family well spread out.

References:

https://www.promoboxx.com/blog/2013/08/long-or-short-campaigns-which-is-right-for-your-brand/

http://ivarsmore.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/how-branding-campaigns-work-for-brand-recall/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison

Emotional Branding

I work at a retail shop on weekends, so I am exposed to the selling and marketing of brands on a regular basis, you might even say I am a part of the brand marketing machine. I work in the sports section of the shop where I witness and assist an abundance of customers come in looking for a specific shoe from a specific brand. When they don’t find what they are looking for it is either they walks away with their spirits down or, every salesperson’s nightmare, throw a ridiculous tantrum and demand that you find what they are looking for. And when their mind is set, requesting that they chose something similar from another brand only further induces their tantrum.

Why does this happen you may ask, well it is because these people and  many other have fallen prey to a skilful little vice that brands use, it is referred to as ‘emotional  branding’.  This is when a brand appeals to a consumer’s emotional state, needs and desires. It is a term used mostly within Marketing Communication. Emotional branding triggers an emotional response in the consumer, a desire and longing for the product which they cannot fully understand or explain.  The consumer even goes as far as developing an attachment, bond and feeling of love towards the brand.

The origin of branding lies within the symbols that brands use. These symbols are created by graphic designers to hold a particular meaning and thus connect with the consumer’s emotions and beliefs about themselves. The idea of associating a brand to a lifestyle was first used by Thomas J. Barrett [1]in the 1900’s when he used advertising to associate high culture and quality to brand Pears Soap[2]. The successful marketing of this product using emotional manipulation saw other brands take note and follow suit.

Emotional branding is meant to create an undeniable bond between the product and the consumer. It embeds a subconscious need for the consumer to acquire the product in order to feel content, this why brands now strive to have a personal relationship with their consumers. This is where brand personality comes into play, when a brand has a personality it assumes human traits in order to achieve differentiation.

So in terms of those customers I encounter on a weekly basis asking them to consider another brand over their preferred one is like asking them to drop a long time companion. I myself am guilty of falling prey to emotional branding and developing a strong preference for certain brands because of the image which they portray.

Reference:

http://www.managementstudyguide.com/brand-personality.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_branding

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Barratt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pears_Soap

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[1] He was a pioneer of brand marketing and was the chairman of soap manufacturer A&F Pears.

[2] Pears Soap is a brand of soap first produced and sold in 1789 by Andrew Pierce.

kulula’s controversial rebranding

Figure 1: kulula airline


Figure 2: South African Airways airline

To recap on past branding events you might have missed, in March 0f 2013 kulula revealed their new branding strategy. This branding was primarily focused on rebranding their line of fleets with the slogan ‘The Most South African Airways’. Now if you happen to ignore the first two words in the phrase you might notice the distinct resemblance it bears to the brand name of another well known airline. At the official press conference Nadine Damen, kulula’s Marketing Manager spoke of how proud they were of the slogan and hoped it would be received well by their target audience. It goes without mention that the company being copied, South African Airways was pretty peeved about the move.

Now since its inception in 2001 khulula prides itself in being the only privately owned airline in the country, now South African Airways on the other hand was founded in 1934 after the South African Government acquired Union Airways. South African Airways has higher brand recognition because of how long it has been with the country. The re-branding proposed by kulula boasted the phrase “The Most South African Airways” written on the side of the planes in a font suspiciously similar to  the one used by South African Airways to brand their planes. To put the last nail in the coffin the back tail of their planes utilised the South African flag in graphic representation similar to the South African Airways logo.

A few days after the unveiling of the “new” branding strategy kulula held yet another awkward press conference promising to review their proposed branding. This came after a number of people voiced their concerns over the company’s proposed rebranding of their fleet and South African Airways having lodged a complaint with The Advertising Standards Authority.

This was not a wise move for kulula as they went through all that trouble to be labelled as copycats at the end of the day. One out of plain curiosity is compelled to try and decipher why they would go through so much trouble to rebrand themselves in a way which would make them  similar to their biggest competitor. The last time I checked company’s re/branded in order to stand apart from their competitors. This little stunt they pulled is akin to Nandos advertising, its hilarious.

Reference: 

http://www.news24.com/Travel/Flights/kulula-launches-controversial-rebranding-20130306

http://wallstreet.platinumdeplus.com/south-african-airways-against-kulula/

http://www.flightsforafrica.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/9.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Airways

Graphic Design and its role in the South African economy

Design has always played a role in how a society functions in relation to its surroundings. Graphic Design is a term first coined by William Addison Dwiggins in 1922. It is a discourse in which a designer seeks to convey a message to an audience specific to the client. While the discipline has witnessed tremendous growth and acknowledgement around the world for its role in driving the economy, South Africa has only just begun to understand its importance. South Africa is yet to see design as a powerful national resource. The discipline can assist the nation into developing local markets, competing on a global market place and meeting the requirements of social reconstruction. Graphic Design should begin to take a pivotal position in the South African economy. Since Graphic Design is so young in the country, it is only beginning to find its unique creative expression. The expression was evident during the world cup through campaigns such as ‘Fly the Flag’ and ‘Football Friday’. This also demonstrated the passion which the Nation can exude when behind a credible and cohesive brand image. Now imagine if that same kind of immense energy and unity could be channelled by the country through its national branding initiative. There is no doubt in my mind that the South African brand lacks that unique visual nuance to make it unforgettable.  There is a vast amount of Graphic Designers and design houses in the country which would be more than willing to assist in re-branding the nation. The evidence can be found in Design Indaba’s Brand the Beloved Country initiative and the amount of visual material designers create themed around the national flag.

Refferences:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

Marian Sauthoff, 2004, Walking the Tightrope: Comments on Graphic Design in South Africa, Design Issues: Volume 20.

South Africa and the 2010 FiFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is a chance for soccer fanatics to kick back their shoes and watch back-to-back soccer matches for a whole month. The hosting country on the other hand has to be up on its feet the whole time to not only making sure that the event runs smoothly, but also has a positive impact on the country’s image. The 2010 World Cup was hosted by none other than South Africa and the country was hoping that the event would have a long lasting effect on its business, tourism and overall brand. The main aim of hosting the event was for the country to embed its image into foreign minds. An important aspect of pulling this of was for South Africa to get its citizens in on the campaign and live out the brand in order to make it more enticing. So the country started their branding efforts a year prior to the event with a television commercial bearing the slogan “It starts with you”.

Melanie McShane [1]states that sport is the new way to promote a country to its counterparts. Countries such as Spain are using their famed football clubs to start conversation among potential tourists and lure them into their shores. With teams such as the world renowned Barcelona Football Club on their side I would say that it is indeed a wise marketing strategy.

Whilst an event of World Cup magnitude brings about positive aspects it can also expose a country to criticism. It sets the tone for a country to deliver an unrivalled sporting event. Melanie McShane also equates hosting such an event to letting people into your home where they are able to see all the clean rooms, but also the untidy little corners. In the South African context those untidy little corners would be the nation’s sky high crime rate and rational inequalities which still exist to this day nearly twenty years post-apartheid.

After winning the bid to host the world cup South Africa sought help on branding the event from IMO[2] for this task the agency consulted private companies such as Uniliver for tips on how to create a unified brand.  Their branding strategy for the country included approaching it like a company looking to get listed on the London Stock Exchange. In their defence for using this tactic IMO stated that approaching Uniliver for advice on branding was inspired by the fact that the company is global while still retaining a local identity and loyalty. This is an argument which is plausible to me since I thought, for the longest time, that Uniliver was a South African company. Although the world cup played a pivotal role in South Africa’s branding McShane agrees that it should act as an opportunity for the country to reposition itself and look beyond the event to build on what has been established. Anitha Soni from the International Marketing Council (IMO) believes that had South Africa publicised a strong united brand it would have helped the country to have a stronger presence on a global scale. 

This post was inspired by Jo Roberts article'South Africa united behind a single brand'.

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[1] She is a strategist at Wolff Olins.

[2]]The International Marketing Council of South Africa, which is also responsible for Brand S.A.

Reference

marketingweek.co.uk

Blasphemy in Graphic Design

I recently read a blog by my peer Paul Nyetanyane. He is a fellow Graphic Design student at Nemisa. His blog is themed around blasphemy, a controversial topic which puts the strongly religious against those who favour bending the rules as far as they can be, but before I delve deeper into the issue let us first define the word. Wikipedia defines blasphemy as "the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for a religious deity, irrelevance towards something considered sacred or inviolable". Paul is focusing of blasphemy in art more specifically that which seems to be pertaining to Christianity.

Christian theology condemns the act and some are deemed as unforgivable in the bible such as speaking ill of the holy spirit (Mark 3:29). The most recent modern work of art which has been deemed as blasphemous is that of American L.A native rapper The Game's new album titled Jesus Piece. It has been stylised to look like stained glass art, an art form which reached its prime during the middle ages where it was a major pictorial form used to illustrate the narratives of the bible to a largely illiterate populace. The controversy the stylised black Jesus on the album cover caused especially amongst Christians is remarkable. Whilst I personally feel that blasphemy is a subjective issue we have to ask the following question; where do we draw the line between freedom of expression and offensive material? It is an interesting topic indeed. If you want to read more on his topic here is the link http://paulnkhabu.wordpress.com/

References: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Piece

Brand the Beloved Country

Brand the beloved country is an idea fashioned to reflect how South Africa has become one of the most liberal societies in the world. The idea belongs to Ravi Naidoo, the founder and managing director of Design Indaba. He came up with it in 2001 and the name was inspired by Alan Paton's book Cry the Beloved Country which is about race-torn South Africa during apartheid. The turn of democracy in the country and homage paid to the book by Design Indaba would indeed have made the author proud. Despite the turn of events, what Design Indaba noticed is that the country is still rife with old stereotypes, opinions, and outdated facts. Basically the nation was still and still is being judged by circumstances which it overcame years ago. The country was and still is in need of a branding campaign, hence the Brand the Beloved Country initiative by Design Indaba to give the country an image well suited to its current status. 

The revelation came to Ravi Naidoo after working on a project for the World Cup bid prior to South Africa winning it in 2004. He realized that global perceptions of the country were farfetched and the country was thought to be Afro-pessimistic. With this information Design Indaba set out on a quest to find a solution to this problem by Commissioning three of the top design agencies in the country at the time in 2005 to come up with a branding campaign for South Africa. They then had to pitch this campaign in 2006 to a wide panel of judges. The premise to this branding was "Real Freedom". With the knowledge, creative freedom and ample amount of time given, each design house set out to create a unique solution. The Results are as follows:

The first idea from HKLM

They decided on using the idea of a viewfinder for the logo to depict real freedom. It allowed them to capture a range of elements that reflect South Africa from the diverse heritage to the warm smile of the people. For the typeface they found a letter that Mandela had written to his daughters while incarcerated on Robin Island. In the letter he had written the words 'South Africa'. They then extracted these two words to create a unique logo-type. 

The second idea from Two Tone

They chose to look at all the national symbols in the country and chose one which would embody freedom and be easily recognizable. They decided on the national bird, The Blue Crane, and then fused it with the vibrancy of the flag to create a new identity. The brand extension is of international quality sure to lure in new investors.

The third idea from Switch

They went with doing a logo-type for this campaign with the abbreviated version of the name South Africa, i.e. S.A. and the colors found on the South African flag. The letters were drawn in a free flowing swirl capturing the personality of the nation. If you look carefully you will find that the negative space inside the type forms a heart. It is a little cliché, but cute nonetheless. The brand extension is playful enough to pull at the heart strings of South African citizens. 

Although none of these was implemented, each one has a unique element and styling to it. The first one is unique and very conceptual with little element that make it distinct. The second one by Two Tone is of international standard, you can see it amongst the big boys holding its own ground. The third one is just fun and it ignites a feeling of happiness in the right direction. This initiative was a step in the right direction towards South Africa finding an identity that works.

 Refference and images:

http://www.designindaba.com/projects/magazine/q2-06-brand-beloved-country

http://www.designindaba.com/projects/magazine/q2-06-brand-beloved-country

http://www.designindaba.com/news/why-brand-nation

 http://www.designindaba.com/news/selling-sa-feel-it

http://www.designindaba.com/news/selling-sa-flying-high

http://www.designindaba.com/news/selling-sa-view-thrill